Tad Boyle still wants freshman to be aggressive on the court

Xavier Johnson swung an elbow right into Spencer Dinwiddie's nose as they battled for position under the basket during a practice this week.

An official would certainly have called a flagrant foul. An opponent might have retaliated.

The coaches swallowed their whistles. Dinwiddie stuck a piece of tissue paper in his nostril and played on.

Colorado, which hosts Northern Arizona tonight at the Coors Events Center (6:30 p.m., Pac-12 Network), doesn't necessarily want Johnson to stop playing as aggressive as a bull in a china shop.

Head coach Tad Boyle and the Buffs say they like the aggressiveness of the 6-6 freshman from Los Angeles, who also possesses the skill and artistry of a matador.

"He just has to play smarter defensively," Boyle said on the subject of Johnson getting into foul trouble. "We don't want to take away his physicality, he's a physical player. But you can be physical without fouling. There's an art to that that he has to figure out, but it takes time."

Johnson is averaging 5.5 points and 3.7 rebounds off the bench. The reason the reason the heavily recruited forward from Mater Dei High School (Santa Ana, Calif.) has only averaged 18.2 minutes is because he leads the team in personal fouls (33).

"I just have to stay out of foul trouble; I've been in it a lot," Johnson said. "I just have to keep my head in the game, stay mentally and physically focused. I'm known for being an aggressive player and that sometimes gets me in trouble. And lately it's been getting me in trouble. So if I stay out of foul trouble, coach says he'll play me a lot."

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Andre Roberson, who has only been whistled for 27 fouls 336 minutes this season, endured similar struggles two years ago when he averaged 6.7 points, 7.8 rebounds and 22.3 minutes as the sixth man on Boyle's first CU team.

"You look back at what Andre went through his freshman year, he was in foul trouble a lot and frustrated a lot. Xavier is going through the same thing right now," Boyle said. "The silly (fouls) are the ones he has to get rid of. I think it's between the ears with Xavier."

Johnson is one of three freshmen reserves in the rotation, along with guards Eli Stalzer (2.1 ppg) and Xavier Talton (1.7 ppg). Boyle plans to use his bench early and often tonight, as well as in the final non-conference game on Dec. 29 against Hartford.

Johnson also has the talent to eventually step into a starring role in the Pac-12.

"Xavier is a monster. He grabs rebounds, he plays defense, he's a force on the low post on offense. He's pretty strong down there," sophomore guard Askia Booker said. "What people don't understand is he could play everywhere on the floor from the three to the five. He's a chore to deal with on defense, and on offense you don't know if he's going to shoot from mid-range or attack you."

Looking at the Lumberjacks

Northern Arizona is 4-6 overall and 1-1 in the Big Sky Conference after splitting home games with Montana State (won 87-80) and preseason conference favorite Montana (lost 62-56) earlier this week.

The Lumberjacks are 0-2 on the road against Pac-12 teams this season (lost 83-73 at Oregon and 93-50 at Arizona).

Boyle was 5-3 against the Lumberjacks when he was the head coach at Northern Colorado.

CU is 3-0 all-time against Northern Arizona and a 19-point favorite in this meeting.

Dinwiddie on Cousy list

Dinwiddie, a 6-6 sophomore, was been named to the 2013 Bob Cousy Award watch list on Thursday.

The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame came up with a list of 85 candidates for the award that honors the nation's top point guard.

BROADCAST: Television on the Pac-12 Network with Paul Sunderland (play-by-play) and Ernie Kent (analyst). Radio on KZZN (AM 760) with Mark Johnson (play-by-play) and Chad Brown (analyst). Follow on Twitter: @RyanThorburn.

CU STORY LINES: The Buffs haven't played since a 50-43 win at Fresno State on Dec. 12. ... Andre Roberson was named the Pac-12 player of the week after scoring 17 points and grabbing a career-high 20 rebounds to lead CU to its first true road win of the season. ... Tad Boyle was 5-3 against Northern Arizona while coaching Northern Colorado in the Big Sky. ... CU is looking for its best start since the 1994-95 team started 9-2 (finishing 15-13). ... Sophomore Spencer Dinwiddie is one of 85 point guards on the 2013 Bob Cousy Award watch list. ... Boyle said he plans to give his bench more playing time tonight. ... The Buffs are a 19-point favorite in Las Vegas.

NORTHERN ARIZONA STORY LINES: The Lumberjacks split their first two Big Sky Conference games with an 87-80 win over Montana State on Monday and a 62-56 loss to Montana on Wednesday. ... Northern Arizona is led by freshman guard DeWayne Russell, who averages 16.5 points, 4.0 assists and 3.7 rebounds per game. ... Bobcats first-year head coach Jack Murphy, 32, is a former scout for the Denver Nuggets and also worked for Lute Olson at Arizona. ... Altitude won't be a problem for the Bobcats, who play at 6,910 feet at home in Flagstaff, Ariz.

KEY STAT: CU is 36-4 (.900) at the Coors Events Center under Tad Boyle while Northern Arizona is 0-2 on the road against Pac-12 teams this season (lost 83-73 at Oregon and 93-50 at Arizona).

COACHES: Tad Boyle is 56-28 in his third season at CU. Jack Murphy is 4-6 in his first season at Northern Arizona.

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